Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
I have to keep my distance. If I give him an inch, it will be game over for me.
“What’s wrong?” Raya asks, her eyebrows drawing together.
I swallow hard before I whisper, “Christiano.”
“Did he message you?”
I nod and drop the phone back into my handbag. “Since the wedding, he’s sent over fifty messages.”
Her eyes widen as she gasps, “Holy shit, that’s a lot. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.” Staring at the cup in front of me, I shake my head. “If I respond, it will give him an in, and then there won’t be any stopping him.”
I can see the questions forming on her face, but like always, she doesn’t pry. She once said she’s there for me if I want to talk about Christiano and hasn’t brought it up again. It’s the one thing I appreciate most about her.
My parents also don’t mention it, and Augusto is too busy at work to care about my romantic life. Riccardo has been living on cloud nine with Gianna and doesn’t come down to Earth long enough to notice what’s going on around him. It’s just Bianca who hasn’t gotten the memo.
Doing my best to suppress the heartache caused by talking about Christiano, I force a smile to my face. “That’s enough about me. What’s new in your life?”
“Absolutely nothing.” Raya finishes the last of her coffee. “Georgi is stressed because the Bulgarian Mafia is selling arms in his territory, so he’s keeping me busy at work.”
“I didn’t know,” I say and quickly add, “In that case, don’t worry about asking for a day off. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it. Me taking a day off won’t cause trouble,” she assures me. “Besides, I can do with some time away from Georgi. I swear, sometimes he drives me up the wall.”
“Brothers tend to do that,” I chuckle.
She checks the time on her wristwatch, then says, “Shit, I'd better get back to the office.”
When she reaches for her handbag, I shake my head. “You go. This is on me.”
She gets up, and stopping beside me to squeeze my shoulder, she chirps, “Thanks, bestie. See you on Monday.”
I watch as she leaves before I signal for the server to bring the bill. Once I’m done paying, I walk back to my car, and as I get in behind the steering wheel, my phone rings.
I pull the device out, and seeing it’s Christiano calling, I close my eyes and press the screen to my chest while lowering my head.
I’m sorry.
Please move on.
I can’t be what you need, and you deserve a strong queen.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, I switch off my phone, and after pulling the door shut, I start the engine and drive to the realtor so I can pick up the keys to my apartment.
It doesn’t take long, and once I’m back in my car, I stare at the keys.
Next week, I’ll be living on my own. The thought makes me both scared and excited.
I start the car again and spend forty minutes in traffic before I pull into a parking spot that has the same number as my apartment. When I get out and walk toward the entrance, I look at the two-level apartment building that surrounds a landscaped courtyard with stone walkways and ivy climbing the brick. Set back from the main streets, it’s noticeably quieter, which is why I chose this place. It feels like a small pocket of calm in Manhattan.
This time, Alfio sticks to my heels, and when I near my place on the second floor, I unlock the front door and wait for him to check every room.
I look at the iron banister and admire the beauty below. There’s a medium-sized fountain in the heart of the courtyard, its water trickling gently.
“It’s clear,” Alfio says, drawing my attention.
“Thank you,” I reply softly before entering the apartment. I shut the door behind me and take in the empty living room and kitchen. It has an open plan design and a lot of natural light spills in through the windows.
It smells weird in here.
Digging my bottle of perfume out of my handbag, I begin to spray it in every room until it smells like me.
The two spacious bedrooms share a bathroom, and as I slowly walk through my new home, I think about different ways to decorate the space.
Stopping in the living room, I sit down on the baywindow seat that’s situated between two empty bookshelves.
I lean back against the side of one shelf, and pulling up my legs, I wrap my arms around my shins.
When I close my eyes, a calmness trickles through me, and letting out a deep breath, tension eases from my muscles.
Dr. Kahn, my psychiatrist, warned me not to cut myself off from all my loved ones. I lied and told her I wouldn’t.